Back Магистрала 21 на САЩ Bulgarian U.S. Highway 21 German جاده ۲۱ ایالات متحده آمریکا Persian U.S. Route 21 French U.S. Route 21 Italian U.S. Route 21 Portuguese U.S. Route 21 Swedish ทางหลวงสหรัฐหมายเลข 21 Thai 21号美国国道 Chinese
U.S. Route 21 | |||||||||||||
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 US 21 highlighted in red | |||||||||||||
| Route information | |||||||||||||
| Maintained by SCDOT, NCDOT, and VDOT | |||||||||||||
| Length | 393 mi[1] (632 km) | ||||||||||||
| Existed | November 11, 1926[2]–present | ||||||||||||
| Tourist routes |
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| Major junctions | |||||||||||||
| South end | Hunting Island State Park, SC | ||||||||||||
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| North end |   I-81 / US 52 in Wytheville, VA | ||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||
| Country | United States | ||||||||||||
| States | South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia | ||||||||||||
| Counties | SC: Beaufort, Hampton, Colleton, Bamberg, Orangeburg, Calhoun, Lexington, Richland, Fairfield, Chester, York NC: Mecklenburg, Iredell, Yadkin, Surry, Wilkes, Alleghany VA: Grayson, Wythe | ||||||||||||
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U.S. Route 21 or U.S. Highway 21 (US 21) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway, spanning 393 miles (632 km) from Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina, to Wytheville, Virginia. The route traverses three states, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. It connects southeastern cities, including Columbia, South Carolina, and Charlotte, North Carolina.
US 21 starts at Hunting Island State Park, bypasses Beaufort, South Carolina, and then heads north across the low country, paralleling Interstate 77 (I-77) through urban and rural areas before entering North Carolina. In North Carolina, US 21 frequently merges with and splits from I-77. The route enters Virginia, passing through hilly terrain before ending at the intersection of Interstate 81 (I-81) / U.S. Route 52 (US 52) in Wytheville.
Despite the "1" indicating that it is a major north–south highway, US 21 only travels through three states and is no longer a cross-country route, as many sections have been replaced by I-77 in Ohio and West Virginia. Historically, US 21 was longer before the Interstate Highway System was established. US 21 originally ran from Cleveland, Ohio, to Yemassee, South Carolina, it was later extended to Beaufort and Hunting Island State Park. Over time, its length was reduced, making it the second-shortest major north–south route after U.S. Route 91 (US 91).
US 21 serves as an alternative to the more heavily trafficked interstates in the area, particularly I-77, I-26, and Interstate 95 (I-95).
- ^ Total length is calculated from route mileages provided by each state DOT.
- ^ Bureau of Public Roads & American Association of State Highway Officials (November 11, 1926). United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials (Map). 1:7,000,000. Washington, DC: United States Geological Survey. OCLC 32889555. Retrieved May 24, 2024 – via Wikimedia Commons.